News Bulletin

January 12, 2015

National Press:

Khyber Pakhtunkhua

APS reopens today with students still in shock

The Army Public School (APS), Peshawar, is set to reopen today (Monday) with students still recounting the heart-rending events they have gone through in the wake of Dec 16 terrorist attack. All other educational institutions across the province will also reopen today amid tight security arrangements, but that will be subject to provision of no objection certificate (NOC) by the respective district administration. In view of the militant attack on APS, in which 150 students and staff members were killed, the worried parents in the province have apprehensions about safety of their school-going children.

As schools are going to reopen today, a mixed reaction was witnessed as some of the schoolgoing children looked worried recalling what had happened in the Army Public School on December 16 last, while some were hoping for a better situation after enjoying about 25 holidays. Despite the horrible scenes portrayed in social media, valiant children of Peshawar are ready to join their schools eagerly.

A nine-member delegation comprising ambassadors from friendly countries visited the Army Public School and College and Combined Military Hospital (CMH) Peshawar on Saturday to show solidarity with the bereaved families and inquired after the health of injured students. The visiting dignitaries lauded the sacrifices and resolve of Pakistani nation in their fight against terrorism.

The management of Bacha Khan University Charsadda has announced that the university would remain closed till further orders. All other educational institutions in the province are reopening today. The meeting of the heads of the teaching and administrative departments extended the winter recess till further orders.

Umma Welfare Trust, a charity organisation, will establish an engineering university in Peshawar for the orphans and poor children who got education till intermediate in the schools and colleges set up by the charity.

Eighth-grader Uzair Ali was shot 11 times – such was the brutality of the terrorists who attacked Army Public School (APS) on December 16 and killed schoolchildren and teachers with heartless premeditation. And such was the scale of brutality, when Uzair’s aged grandfather searched for his beloved grandchild, the hospital handed him the wrong coffin; there were just so many dead children in one place.

Chief of Army Staff (COAS) General Raheel Sharif on Monday morning visited the Army Public School, Peshawar – target of the December 16 attack – as it reopened after an extended winter break,Radio Pakistanreported.

As a part of measures taken to tighten security at schools and colleges, the district administration of Bannu has instructed all educational institutes to refrain from holding morning assemblies for two months.

The educational institutions in the district are reopening today (Monday) after extended winter vacations, but they have mostly failed to adopt the government-issued security measures in the wake of the terrorist attack on the Army Public School, Peshawar, last month, it is learnt.

Confusion and indecision by the officials of the education department and the political administration have caused further delay in the reopening of educational institutions in the restive Bara subdivision of Khyber Agency.

Complete Story: The district administration has directed the educational institutions to strictly follow the security guidelines issued by the provincial government before reopening on Jan 12. Acting deputy commissioner Hafiz Ataul Munam issued the orders in a meeting with the heads of the public and private educational institutions here on Saturday.

The government’s decision to grant regular BPS-17 to the Secondary School Teachers (SSTs) though a welcome step could create administrative problems for the headmasters in the same scale, sources said.

Complete Story: Three years ago, young poet and social activist Amir Gamaryani, a resident of Pashtun Garhi, had dreamt of establishing a school to offer quality education to the children of poor people.

Though the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa government has announced the reopening of educational institutions in the province on Monday (Jan 12), most government and private schools are unlikely to carry out its security instructions due to unavailability of funds.

Vice Chancellor Gomal University said that, through education most of the Muslim countries could solve their development issues. He said it in prizing ceremony of graduation shields to Sudani students of Pharmacy program.

DIG Dera Ismail Khan held a high-level meeting to discuss security of schools. In meeting, it is decided to ensure foolproof security to schools. In this regard, SOS emergency information service will also be utilized.

After taking back the article 144 imposed for safety of educational institutions by provincial government, all educational institutions are opening after getting security NOC from concerned department.

The Balochistan government has already launched Education Management and Information System (EMIS) website. EMIS is designed to contain data about all educational institutes in Balochistan, the chief minister said that more than 1.8 million children are out of school in Balochistan while maternal mortality rate is the highest among the four provinces.

Baloch student action committee said that government has started educational activities at Postgraduate Medical College Quetta. It is a positive response. They said that college should also start MS and Post Graduate classes.

Pushtoon Student Federation Azad said that there is corruption and irregularities at administration of Balochistan University. Government should take its notice. Medical college of Bolan is also facing such situation.

Senior education staff association said the Secondary Education board of intermediate was working under Secretary Secondary Education but now it is working under Secretary Colleges. They said that schools generate 80% revenue while college generates only 20% revenue. Its unfair to regulate secondary education under colleges.

All private and public educational institutions in Islamabad Capital Territory will resume their educational activities from January 12, 2015 (Monday) after winter vacations. The winter vacations which were earlier announced by Capital Administration and Development Division (CADD) from Dec 22-31, 2014, had been extended due to security concerns after the Peshawar incident.

The Pakistan Telecommunication Authority and the capital city’s police department gave a detailed presentation to the administration of educational institutions over planned security arrangements and introduced an smartphone-based emergency alert system that would deployed at schools to improve reporting capabilities in the case of an emergency.

Federal government has decided to take funds form children’s parents for the security of their children in the educational institutions. In this context, administrative committees will meet parents after the institutes are opened. Guards will be hired with the money raised from parents. According to sources, State Minister of CAD Barrister Salman chaired a meeting few days back in which security of educational institutes was discussed; attended by other high figures too.

In the wake of the deadly Peshawar school attack last month, the interior ministry has decided to keep an eye on the activities of foreign students who are enrolled in various educational institutions.

H G Wells once said that statistical thinking will one day be as necessary for efficient citizenship as the ability to read and write. And statistics may be one of the effective and efficient means for communicating information. The Pakistan Education Statistics Report 2012-13, shows a different picture.

The religious seminaries, which have been mushrooming in the capital since 80s, may soon outnumber the government-run educational institutes. A recent survey by the police of the number of registered and illegal madrassas in Islamabad has revealed some eye-opening facts. In the capital alone, some 160 madrassas and 72 day scholar Quranic institutes are not registered with any of the government authorities.

Idara Taleem-o-Aagahi held a policy dialogue on the political economy of learning and right to education in wake of Annual Status of Education Report (ASER) 2014. Given the challenges of inequality and the constitutional provision of Article 25-A or the right to education in 2010 as a duty of the state for all children aged 5-16, the political economy of learning needs alignment of state laws, public policy and investments in human resource development in Pakistan.

The research and development division, Higher Education Commission (HEC) and Institute of Space Technology (IST) have signed an MoU for rolling out “Start and Improve Your Business” module in Pakistan. Prof Dr Tariq Mahmood and Dr Zafar M Khan signed the agreement at HEC Secretariat, Islamabad. Fostering entrepreneurship for men and women is vital not only for Pakistan’s economic growth but also for ripping utmost benefits from our bulging youth population that is approximately 60 % of the total population.

National Book Foundation has devised a comprehensive plan for developing, printing and providing up to the mark textbooks to the students this year, says a press release. On this occasion, well known educationist, former vice chancellor of Allama Iqbal Open University and Chairman Pakistan Education Foundation Prof Dr. Shoukat Ali Siddiqui expressed his views and appreciated the role of NBF as it is designing and developing books on international standard.

The Allama Iqbal Open University (AIOU) has begun legal action against sellers of solved assignments to its students. According to the AIOU registrar, it has come to the management’s knowledge that some private educational institutions and organisations are using fake website names, which closely relate to the AIOU official website.

Board of Intermediate and Secondary Education Rawalpindi (BISER) will announce the results of Higher Secondary School Certificate (HSSC) supplementary examination 2014 on January 12 (today) at 10:00am.

The National University of Modern Languages has delayed the reopening of its main campus in H-9 for two weeks. Now, the campus will remain closed until January 24 and reopen on January 26 after weekend instead of January 12 (today), says the NUML spokesperson.

By silencing discussion, state shirking its responsibility to schoolchildren

Eleven-year-old Iman Fatima is too young to fully understand violence and death. But when her school remained closed for far too long in the aftermath of the attack on the Army Public School in Peshawar, the insightful schoolgirl went up to her father and asked him some questions that no one expects an 11-year-old to ask.

The Board of Intermediate and Secondary Education (BISE) Rawalpindi has announced the admission schedule for intermediate examinations. In accordance with the announcement, students from science and arts groups can submit regular admission fees until February 12, 2015. The fee will double till February 23, 2015, and triple the fee will be charged till March 03, 2015.

A large group of 119 student leaders from underserved populations across Pakistan have arrived in the United States this week to spend a semester at American schools. This programme for undergraduate studies is managed through the Global Undergraduate Exch­ange Programme of the US State Department.

The management of Quaid-i-Azam University (QAU) on Friday announced that the varsity will resume classes from January 13. Owing to security threats, on December 20 QAU was closed for an indefinite period.

AIG Police said that 34 DSP and inspector level police officers would be monitoring the security systems and management at educational institutions. There will be regular monitoring outside the institutions.

Inspector General Police, Islamabad said that they have secure 424 schools of Islamabad with security instructions of plan. Special units will monitor the activities of the schools. All 424 schools are connected wilt security alerts directly to police.

Federal minister of Education, Baligh ur Rehman said that there would be a separate fund allocation in federal budget for education. He said that based on research finding they can make a good education policy.

In charge Federal Urdu, university of Arts Science and Technology said that they have released tenders for construction of their Islamabad Campus. He said they have 80-canal land for it and will require three years for its completion.

Like other parts of the country, all educational institutions in the city will reopen today after the winter vacation that was extended following the attack on the Army Public School in Peshawar. The Punjab government, declaring 322 schools across the province as sensitive, has decided to deploy police there to ensure security of students and staffers.

Inspector General of Police Punjab Mushtaq Ahmad Sukhaira has decided to deploy the officials of Quick Response Force (QRF) at education institution throughout the province to avoid any untoward incident. The decision to this effect was taken after the audit of schools by the five-member security committee set up by the Punjab government to review security arrangements in schools. The security committee comprises representatives of ISI, IB, Special Branch, CTD and district.

With thousands of big and small schools spread over more than 1,200 square kilometres of the city, checking each and every school for adequate security arrangements – in the wake of Peshawar school attack and the subsequent threat by the Taliban of similar but intense attacks – appears to be a difficult and annoying exercise for the Lahore police.

Public and private educational institutes are reopening across the province on Monday (today) amid security fears. The Punjab government issued Standard Operating Procedures for educational institutes’ security and claims to have completed arrangements, while there are contradictory claims at grassroots level that no substantial security measures have been adopted except for raising walls, installing razor wires and CCTV cameras.

Governor Chaudhry Sarwar has expressed his concern that about 5.4 million children in the country are out of school while the deadline for achieving Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) is drawing near by the end of this year. The governor was speaking at a press briefing on the “UpForSchool” Signature Campaign and its action plan at the Governor House on Saturday.

The Punjab Educational Endowment Fund (PEEF) is a revolutionary initiative of the Punjab government under the leadership of Punjab Chief Minister Shahbaz Sharif to facilitate talented poor students get higher education. Prominent educationist Dr Malik Munir Hussain Kallu stated this while talking to newsmen here the other day. He said the establishment of the fund was a revolutionary step of the Punjab government in the 63 year history of the country, through which, talented students facing financial problems were getting their education.

A huge number of schoolchildren and dropouts could be seen selling boiled eggs amidst severe cold and dense fog on the main roads, bazaars, streets, local railway stations and bus stands here to support their families and manage their educational expenditures. Sialkot, Daska, Sambrial, Uggoki, Pasrur, Badian, Chawinda and surrounding areas are found echoed in the evenings with the rising voices of “Aandey, Garam Aandey” (buy hot boiled eggs).

The finalization of security arrangements for the educational institutions has become a challenge for the government despite the prolonged closure of schools and colleges across the province. The government has given the directions to reopen the schools on January 12 but the security arrangements have not been finalized. In Punjab, there are 5,3000 government schools and most of them do not even have boundary walls while a number of them have less than 5-feet high walls.

The Board of Intermediate & Secondary Education (BISE) Lahore will announce the result of Intermediate Supplementary Examination 2014 on Monday (today). According to a BISE spokesperson, 32,668 candidates had appeared in the exam. The result will also be available on Lahore Board’s website www.biselahore.com.

After the signature of the Governor of the Punjab on Punjab Higher Education Commission (PHEC) bill, the Punjab Higher Education Commission Ordinance 2014 has been repealed by PHEC Act. In order to strengthen and meeting the growing needs of higher education sector in the province, the Punjab government promulgated ordinance on 2nd October 2014 to provide for the creation of Punjab Higher Education Commission.

Provincial Minister for Law, Excise & Taxation and Finance Mujtaba Shuja-ur-Rehman has said that total one lakh students purely on merit will get laptops during current fiscal year in all categories. He said that government has given special attention for the improvement of school education during last 6 years and one lakh 40 thousand school teachers had been recruited purely on merit in the province.

The Inauguration Ceremony of new Building of PAF School for Special Education,Lahore was held at PAF Base Lahore Saturday. Begum Shehla Tahir, President Pakistan Air Force Women Association (PAFWA), was the Chief Guest on the occasion.

Teaching is the noblest profession which develops nations on modern lines to excel in the comity of nations. In fact, it’s an enduring legacy of the prophets. Our teaching community should therefore perform their duties in a way to develop today’s nascent youth as confident leaders of tomorrow so that Pakistan could get rid of the present day crises.

Cracked walls, crumbling ceilings and broken doors, windows and furniture are the hallmarks of the historic Government Christian High School, Rawalpindi. The run-down structure poses a serious threat to the lives of hundreds of students and their teachers.

Terror threat: ‘Schools with inadequate security to be issued notices’

“Extraordinary situations require extraordinary steps,” said Chief Minister Shahbaz Sharif on Saturday. He said committees had been constituted at district and tehsil level for monitoring of security arrangements. He said elected representatives and administrative officers should check security arrangements in educational institutions and submit regular reports.

Winter vacations are over and all schools in the province are set to open on Monday (today). Vacations had been extended for all schools to beef up security following the December 16 attack at the Army Public School in Peshawar. Following the attack, the government instructed schools to raise boundary walls till 8-feet and place two-foot barbed wire on top of them.

As many as 1,500 private and public schools in Dera Ghazi Khan will remain closed on Monday (today) after being advised by the government not to reopen until security at the campus has been improved, said All Pakistan Private Schools Association Vice President Ziaul Islam

Police on Saturday conducted a mock exercise to cope with any emergency situation at DPS School in Rajanpur on Saturday. DCO Ghazi Amanullah monitored the exercise while Border Military Police Commandant Imran Munir and officials of Civil Defence were also participated in the drill.

Technical Education and Vocational Training Authority (TEVTA) chairperson Irfan Qaiser Sheikh said on Friday that Tevta would be recruiting 1,042 teachers against vacancies at its institutes across the Punjab.

The Punjab government has approved the widening and carpeting of some 3km road connecting the new campus of the University of Gujrat (UoG) with Gujrat city through the Jalalpur Jattan road, however, the university administration has also sought the demolition of the markets, shops and some houses located right in front of the main entrance of the Hafiz Hayat campus before execution of the project.

A programme aimed at imparting training to teachers and education officers of all the schools of district Rawalpindi to deal with terrorists in the event of any terror attack on educational institutions has been launched. Police and bomb disposal squad (BDS) have started imparting training to teachers and education officers of district Rawalpindi on how to protect the children in the event of any terrorist attack on educational institution, identification of terrorists and bombs besides overpowering the terrorists.

Punjab Governor Ch Sarwar has said the waterborne diseases are enormously increasing burden on state-run hospitals which is a matter of serious concern. Addressing the inaugural session of Silver Jubilee Conference Familycon arranged by Pakistan Academy of Family Physicians at a local hotel on Saturday, the governor highlighted state of affairs regarding provision of clean drinking water in the province, saying that over 1,000 children were visiting the Children’s Hospital alone on daily basis with the waterborne diseases.

The seminaries, which are not involved in any extremist activities, should not be afraid of inspection or scrutiny by government’s security agencies, PAT central president Dr Raheeq Abbasi said on Saturday. He expressed these views while. Addressing a press conference along with PAT allies of Inqilaab drive at party’s central secretariat at Model Town, Abbasi said that the time had come to start an operation against the sympathizers and supporters of extremists in the political parties. The government would have to eliminate the terrorists hiding among their ranks, he added.

Punjab University Vice Chancellor Prof Dr Mujahid Kamran has inaugurated Thermodynamics Lab equipped with steam power plant and other modern equipments at Institute of Chemical Engineering and Technology. Dean Faculty of Engineering and Technology Prof Dr Taqi Zahid Butt, Director Institute of Chemical Engineering and Technology Prof Dr Amir Ejaz and senior faculty members were present on the occasion.

The Planning Commission of Pakistan has approved a mega development project of the University of Veterinary and Animal Sciences in Lahore. In its CDWP meeting chaired by Fedral Minister for Planning, Development and Reforms Prof Ahsan Iqbal on Friday, the Planning Commission decided on the approval. The project titled “Enhancement of Research Facilities at University of Veterinary and Animal Sciences (UVAS) Lahore’s Ravi Campus, Pattoki ” will be completed in three years at a cost of Rs980 million.

Provincial Minister of Education said that all colleges decided to train students with NCC. If an educational institution is not meeting the Standard Operating Procedures of security then Security Departments will encounter them.

Three-day students’ moot startsOver 400 students from local schools attended the first day of the Model United Nations at the Dawood Public School (DPS) on Friday. The three-day Dalmun organised by students of the school’s A-Levels section would conclude on Sunday evening. The DPS management professed their delight at the significant increase in participants since the Dalmun was started two years ago, with this year’s registration figures being four times higher than the initial summit. http://www.thenews.com.pk/Todays-News-4-295091-Three-day-students-moot-starts

Security risks at PU and UET

Due to marriage event at Marriage halls at Punjab University and grounds of UET, there is high security risk. The institutions taking its notice.

Govt. to make ‘National Educational Framework’ in order to motivate students

Provincial education minister announced that based on 1970 Cadet Core the new cadets core is being training in colleges. Minister said that 500 thousand young volunteers constituting “Youth force for Pease” would ensure security in their territories. He said with consultation of Vice Chancellors of Universities of the region, government would make “National Education Framework” for providing motivation to literate youth.

Finance minister said that government has reserved 3.5 billion for advancement in education. He says government is providing laptops to position holders of the institutions. All those who attained 78% marks will be eligible for laptops.

Chairman Punjab Education Foundation distributed certificates after training to teachers. He said teachers are founders. He said that Punjab Education Foundation is offering free education to 125 thousand children.

Deputy Inspector General Police, Dr. Haider Ashraf said that, its responsibility of administration of schools to ensure the security system and management at schools. He said police is active to monitor the schools.

In a high-level meeting on current security situation of educational institutions, Chief Minister said that there would be no compromise on foolproof security at educational institutions in any area. CM seeks explanation for current security management at educational institutions.

The Parivar’s intrusion by Praful BidwaiParivar activists are especially active in reshaping and subverting educational institutions. Their aim is to influence their working to reflect the Sangh’s ‘cultural nationalism’ by promoting Hindutva icons, engineering long-term changes in programmes and priorities, and making key appointments of personnel who will loyally execute changes. http://www.thenews.com.pk/Todays-News-9-295165-The-Parivars-intrusion

Sindh

Rs17.8m anomalies found in Mirpurkhas BISE report

The Public Accounts Committee of the Sindh Assembly has detected financial anomalies amounting to Rs17.879 million in the audit report of the Mirpurkhas Board of Intermediate and Secondary Education.

Chief Minister Syed Qaim Ali Shah has announced that the province would soon get its first university of information technology. He was speaking at the foundation-stone laying ceremony of the IBA Institute of Emerging Technologies here on Saturday evening. He said the Sindh government was extending all possible facilities to the people of the province in the education and health sector. He observed that acquiring IT training had become essential for the progress of the country and urged the youth to work hard in order to effectively play their role in this regard.

Maulana Abdul Rashid Soomro, a son of slain secretary general of the Sindh Jamiat Ulema-i-Islam-Fazl (JUI-F), was elected the general secretary on Sunday. Speaking at the congregation, Senator Haideri, declared that the JUI-F would foil all attempts to turn the country to a secular state and resist tooth and nail any move against religious seminaries.

The Federal Urdu University of Arts, Science and Technology (Fuuast) is facing an existential crisis due to corruption, mismanagement, irregularities and illegalities in the affairs of the university, well informed sources told The News on Sunday.

As all schools and colleges are reopening on Monday, Senior Minister for Education and Literacy Nisar Khuhro has called a meeting on the day to review security arrangements for educational institutions in Sindh. A spokesman for the education ministry said on Saturday that all schools and colleges in Sindh would reopen on Monday and the education minister had decided to look into the matter on the first day of school after the winter vacation.

A standard operating procedure has been devised for security of schools in the city after several meetings among the Sindh governor, law enforcement agencies and education departments with other stakeholders, said Commissioner Shoaib Ahmed Siddiqui at his office during a press conference on Saturday.

Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) co-chairman and former president Asif Ali Zardari has directed the provincial government to draw up a comprehensive security plan for the schools and academic institutions throughout the province particularly in Karachi to ensure foolproof security arrangements against any militant attack.

The perpetrators of this heinous crime should be punished in severest possible terms and exemplary sentences should be awarded to those ferocious beasts who took the lives of our children in a cowardly attack.

The Sindh High Court on Friday issued notices to the federal and provincial governments as well as the Sindh Police and Karachi Metropolitan Corporation (KMC) on a petition regarding inadequate security at several schools in Karachi.

The Karachi Commissioner Shoaib Ahmed Siddiqui said Pak Army, Pakistan Rangers Sindh and Sindh Police were fully prepared to secure schools and colleges in the province especially in the metropolis. With regard to the security of schools and colleges, President of Pakistan Mamnoon Hussain, Sindh Governor Dr Ishrat Ul Ebad Khan, Sindh Chief Minister Syed Qaim Ali Shah and Sindh senior Minister for Education Nisar Ahmed Khohru had already given plain instructions, which the authorities concerned and the security forces of the country and the law enforcement agencies would ensure in letter and spirit.

Thousands of schools will open on Monday (today) after prolonged winter vacation amid anxiety within parents and officials alike over insufficient security in and outside most educational institutions, particularly after the Dec 16 massacre in a Peshawar school.

For want of resources: Govt tells parents, teachers to manage school security

The city administration and the provincial education department will not be able to ensure security to schools in the city. The officials have asked parents to take up duties at their children’s schools to manage security and regulate traffic around the campuses too.

The school administrations should not resume classes before ensuring foolproof security, directed Sindh Governor Dr Ishratul Ebad, while speaking at a meeting held at Governor House to discuss internal and external security issues in schools on Friday. All schools are scheduled to open from January 12 but teaching should only start where security arrangements have been completed, he said. He instructed that teaching activities should remain suspended in schools where security arrangements were not satisfactory.

For the children of Karachi, schools may never be the same again. The little joys of waiting for the school bell to ring and then running to the vendors to buy sweets, ice-lollies, ‘guriya kay baal’ and other delicacies outside schools might all have to come to an end in the name of security.

Hundreds of teachers and students from the University of Sindh (SU) took the law into their hands on Friday and tried to force land grabbers to move from a piece of land reserved for a housing society for the varsity.

With just two days left in the reopening of schools after the winter vacation, there is no official word about any mechanism the government may have adopted to check the implementation of a ‘comprehensive security plan’ in more than 6,000 registered private schools and 437 government schools across the city.

The 5th International Symposium-Cum-Training Course on Molecular Medicine and Drug Research (MMDR-5) will begin from January 12 to 15, 2015 at the International Centre for Chemical and Biological Sciences (ICCBS) Karachi University (KU), said Director ICCBS Prof Dr Muhammad Iqbal Chaudhry.

The Research Department, Faculty of Health Sciences, Ziauddin University held a three-day National Conference on Advances in Health Sciences with the theme of “Research and Innovation for Better Health”, and Clinical Proteomics Workshop in collaboration with Pakistan Science Foundation.

Most of the schools are opening today without proper security system and management. Education department written to schools headmasters that no person without any identification will be allowed to enter into the schools

After protest, Sindh high court asked Vice Chancellor, NDU, for the Explanation. It was done in pursuance of ending all facilities to children of university employees in new administration policy on University.

Directorate of college decided that In Karachi I t is decided that opening and closing timings of colleges will not be fixed and same. They will be changing after few days. This changing schedule is decided for security purposes.

EDUCATION is commonly thought to be a social good, and by some, considered a cure, or solution. Education, we are told, can be the driver of social change, create economic growth, and promises social mobility.

In response to the Dec 16 attack on the Army Public School in Peshawar, the government has announced a National Action Plan (NAP) to fight terrorism and militancy. The plan includes the registration and regulation of madrasahs and a committee has been formed to meet the wifaqs of different madrasahs to reach a consensus.

THE lack of oversight and transparency in procurements by government agencies and subsequent missing component of accountability are undoubtedly big challenges, but manageable. These aspects become more crucial vis-à-vis procurements for education sector, for instance keeping in view gigantic number of missing facilities especially in public schools across Punjab which are directly linked to quality component.

When many of the schools in Pakistan will reopen after the winter vacations – on January 12 or after – the foremost concern for students, their parents, teachers and all concerned Pakistanis will be the safety of their children. Many school managements are raising the boundary walls of their premises, putting up barbed wires, hiring more guards and struggling with the implementation of security plans in post-December 16 Pakistan in which even schoolchildren are seen as a ‘legitimate target’ by a tiny minority of extremists that believes the game having no rules.

With the shadow of the Peshawar Tragedy still looming large, the question of reopening schools after a government mandated, extended winter break has been a tricky one. On one hand, keeping the schools closed has been a massive detriment to education, as well as being a tool for perpetuating the terror-induced paralysis intended by the militants.

Schools open today, and there are few parents amongst us who have not got a knot of anxiety in their stomachs about it. There is nothing more I could write about the unspeakable horror and tragedy of last month’s Peshawar attack that hasn’t been already written, but I have read stories being collected by people I know, accounts from the parents who lost children that day, who keep saying they will send their other children back.

Starting Monday, most of the schools across Pakistan will once again open their doors (albeit cautiously) to the eager young minds of tomorrow. It is the first day of school, after the emergency Winter break announced in the aftermath of the Peshawar Army Public School tragedy. It is pertinent, therefore, to take this moment to recognize the resilience encapsulated in our defiant return to schools.

In many schools there are no security guards and media reports indicate that many lower staff members are being forced to wear security guards’ uniforms to hoodwink society by showing that security personnel have been deployed

When a child starts schooling, he/she considers the teacher to be a role model and tries to copy them at home. As teachers are role models for the entire nation, they should be very careful in all their actions and dealings with others.

One matter on which there is almost universal agreement is that the public sector education system in Pakistan is in desperate need of repair and rehabilitation. Nowhere in the country is this truer than in Balochistan, but there are reports of several lights at the end of the tunnel.Balochistan has the lowest enrolment rate nationally, with only two-thirds of all children going to school.

My kids are enrolled in one of the largest and well-known chain of schools in Pakistan, but unfortunately, I don’t see a reasonable security plan in place to date. I’m both perturbed and petrified with the strange unprofessional attitude of the police and schools networks for whom placing three or four armed guards at the premises means “fully secured”.

AS an ex-student of O level, I want to highlight the unfair attitude of the Punjab government towards O level students. On the basis of the result of 2013, matriculate students have been awarded laptops whereas this has not been the case with O level students. This time even the students of private colleges have been given laptops. Students who had 78pc and above marks have got them but we are being deprived of this.

Officials are receiving a hefty fee (Rs1,000) per job applicant, though in Sindh the fee is Rs30 only. The government should look into the matter and ask for the same amount as is being taken in Sindh by the NTS.

In educational environments it is often said that the pedagogy of effort is fundamental for learning with effectiveness and being successful in one’s academic life and life in general. Various research studies concerning education conclude that the “wanting to study” is more important than intelligence when it comes to academic performance.

Religious seminaries have popped up all over the country. I am sure they provide millions of children with the opportunity to at least learn the Quran and be disciplined though there should be some checks on their mushrooming growth. They should be registered as all schools need to be and an account should be maintained of how many there are and which fiqua (sect) they belong to.

Ever since the horrendous incident at APS Peshawar, almost all schools have been closed and various measures are being discussed and planned to ensure security and safety of the children. Apparently, the emphasis is on preventing a terrorist from entering a school and for that measures like raising of the perimeter walls, armed guards manning gates and various security check points are being talked about.